Conventionally, various kinds of contact mechanism that, in an electromagnetic relay, electromagnetic contactor, or the like, extinguish an arc generated when contacts are opened to move a movable contact away from a fixed contact in order to change from a closed condition of the contact mechanism, wherein the fixed contact and movable contact are contacting, to an open condition by interrupting the current have been proposed as a contact device wherein switching of a current path is carried out.
For example, an electromagnetic switching device including a pair of fixed contacts, each having a fixed contact point, disposed separated by a predetermined distance, a movable contact having a movable contact point at the left and right ends thereof, disposed so as to be capable of contacting to and separating from the pair of fixed contacts, an electromagnet device that drives the movable contact, and an enclosing member that houses the movable contact and fixed contacts, has been proposed, as disclosed in PTL 1. Herein, an arc extinguishing permanent magnet is disposed parallel with the movable contact on the outer side of the enclosing member.